War Powers Act of 1973
Former secretaries of state, Warren Christopher from the Clinton presidency and James A. Baker III from the Bush Sr. presidency, plan to propose legislation to replace the War Powers Act. The 1973 law was passed "in the waning days of the Vietnam War...which aimed to limit the president's ability to commit American forces to war unilaterally." The effects of this ineffective act are recent: "In 2002, President Bush sought and received Congressional authorization for military action to enforce United Nations weapons sanction. Since then, however, many members of Congress have claimed that he has exceeded that authority and have tried repeatedly to limit the scope of the war and impose a timetable for withdrawal of troops. All of these efforts have failed."
The two men argue that the act never served its intended function and must be replaced. "Their proposal would require the president to consult lawmakers before initiating combat lasting longer than a week except in rare cases requiring emergency action. Congress, for its part, would have 30 days to approve or disapprove of the military action." The plan would also "create a new committee of Congressional leaders and relevant committee chairmen, with a full-time staff with access to miliatry and intelligence material. The president would be required to consult with the group in advance of any extended strike." The legislation would hopefully limit and clarify when and for how long presidents can act unilaterally.